Sir Elton and Prince Harry will be in Durban next week

Sir Elton John and Prince Harry will be in Durban next week for the 2016 International AIDS Conference.

They will host a youth-focused special session at the conference‚ the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) and International AIDS Conference (IAC) announced on Thursday.

The session will address the HIV epidemic among adolescents with a particular emphasis on the impact stigma and discrimination have on youth.

“Sir Elton and Prince Harry will be joined by Prince Seeiso of Lesotho and a panel of young advocates who will describe what is and what is not working for the HIV response among young people‚ and what must change to truly address the needs of youth with HIV.

“EJAF will also announce the first recipient of The LGBT Fund‚ a $ 10 million partnership with the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)‚” EJAF said.

“Today‚ HIV/AIDS is a treatable disease and no longer the death sentence it was ten years ago‚ but we cannot grow complacent in our fight to eradicate it completely. If our efforts wane‚ anti-viral drug resistance will resurface‚ transmission rates will again rise‚ and this disease‚ which knows no boundaries‚ will once again become a ruthless pandemic with disastrous and far-reaching consequences‚” said Sir Elton.

“Many LGBT people and youth around the world still don’t have access to life-saving treatment and face high cases of stigma and discrimination. I look forward to working with Prince Harry and other world leaders to help make our dream of an AIDS-free world a reality.”

Responding to the AIDS crisis in Africa has been a key priority for the Foundation and has focused primarily on youth and LGBT people. In 2015‚ EJAF established ‘Young Survivors’ – a fundraising campaign to save the lives of young people living with HIV in selected African cities.

Since launching this campaign‚ EJAF has invested more than $ 3.42 million to support projects in 5 locations‚ including: Harare (Zimbabwe)‚ Kampala (Uganda)‚ Kisumu (Kenya)‚ Lusaka (Zambia) and Beira (Mozambique). In 2014‚ EJAF and PEPFAR awarded $ 7 million to Health4Men‚ a South African-based program that provides free and confidential health care for men who have sex with men.

Popular Afrikaans singer Karen Zoid has penned an emotional open letter detailing her battle with substance abuse

In the letter‚ posted to her Facebook page‚ Karen explains that 13 July marks her one year anniversary of being a non-smoker.

She dedicated the anniversary to a friend who she lost due to an overdose.

In the letter she opens up about beating her drug habit‚ explaining that when she lost her mom at 9-years-old she started using drugs. Karen says she didn’t think that she was going to make it‚ and detailed how when she bumps into those who know her from her past she always gets a “jolt of emotions.”

Her letter is one of hope though‚ with the singer telling those who are also battling that there is always a way out.

An initiative by Zimbabweans to raise bail for about 50 people arrested during the riots in Bulawayo last week was able to raise enough money to enable them to be released on bail.

A call by one of the activists on twitter on Wednesday asked Zimbabweans to donate the money through EcoCash‚ a mobile payment solution which enables money to be sent to a mobile company EcoNet number.

The people were granted bail on Monday but could not pay the amount as most of them are unemployed. They are set to appear in court next Thursday on charges of public nuisance.

The twitter user made this call after 54 of the protesters could not raise the US$ 80 needed by each to be released on bail.

He also asked contributors to contact the coordinator from a human rights group based in Bulawayo which was collecting the donations. On Thursday afternoon‚ he sent a tweet informing that the money had been raised.

We have raised enough money to bail out everyone.Thank you Zimbabwe.#ThisFlag

The Minister of Home Affairs‚ Malusi Gigaba‚ cannot turn away a ‘homophobic’ pastor who is headed for South Africa in September.

News of pastor Steven Anderson coming to the country on a “soul winning mission” later this year broke on Wednesday prompting a social media outcry and an online petition to Gigaba to stop him from coming to the country due to his hate speech against gay people.

Department of Home Affairs spokesperson Mayihlome Tshwete said the minister is not in a position to turn away the Arizona-based pastor.

“The minister empathises with the LGBT community but firstly Americans do not need visas to come to South Africa or any form of permission from the department. We feel that the comments made by the pastor were uncalled for but the law doesn’t allow us to turn away anyone from entering the country based on what they have said‚” Tshwete said.

He added that the minister has consulted with his legal advisers on the matter.

“The minister has consulted with his lawyers and he is still looking for another possible option but at this point it’s going to be impossible to turn the pastor away as he has not been found to have done anything illegal in our country by any court or even in his own country.”

Tshwete said the ministry advices the LGBT community to approach the South African Human Rights Commission which the minister will support.

Hyperactive men with ADHD may also enjoy extreme sports, says a psychiatrist Picture: Pixabay

ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopment disorders, with as much as three out of four adults with ADHD never being diagnosed.

According to psychiatrist Dr Rykie Liebenberg, around 90% of men with undiagnosed ADHD may present with symptoms of aggression or behavioural disturbance – which makes diagnosis of ADHD in men vitally important.

“ADHD in men typically presents with inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity, so it’s more easily picked up in men than in women, who tend to withdraw,” explains Liebenberg. In her experience, symptoms of untreated ADHD are felt most profoundly by family members or partners.

“Men with ADHD are prone to emotional outbursts, because they struggle to control their emotions,” says Liebenberg. “They’re impulsive both at work and at home, often walking out of jobs and relationships when they get bored or disinterested. This puts a huge strain on relationships, which is why rates of divorce are so much higher in partners where one individual has ADHD.”

Liebenberg describes the effects of untreated ADHD in men as existing on a spectrum from forgetting to buy bread and milk, to forgetting to pick up the kids.

“The same goes for addictive behaviour – it ranges from smoking, to pornography and gambling addictions, as well as substance abuse.

Can’t sit still

In dealing with men with ADHD (if they fall into the hyperactive subgroup) Liebenberg finds they often present as either the workaholic and/or extreme sportsman. These habits are adopted, Liebenberg suspects, as coping mechanisms to manage their own symptoms.

“The workaholic-ADHD man hardly ever takes a break or goes on holiday and when he does, he’s out on a 4×4 track or running, paddling and cycling. He struggles to sit still or take time off, which makes it tough for the people around him to relax and unwind – particularly a partner.”

At work, he’s up and out of his seat, describes Liebenberg, interrupting others and distracted by everything around him. Working as a paramedic, sales rep or IT developer usually suits men with ADHD, as they’re constantly on the move, talking to different people, and with varied stimuli, she says.

Liebenberg finds they often become entrepreneurs, as they aren’t restricted by a schedule and can work their own hours.

Despite the common perception that men don’t want the stigma of diagnosis and therefore resist treatment, men with ADHD these days aren’t too put-out by the diagnosis.

“Admitting you can’t focus or sit still is much easier than admitting you have a deep-seated emotional issue, so I find men quite easily talk about their symptoms and accept the diagnosis and treatment,” describes Liebenberg.

“The problem usually comes in when they have to stick to a routine in taking their medication – they frequently forget and take their meds at the wrong time.”

As with treating anyone with ADHD – men or women – understanding and patience is key, says Liebenberg. “It’s never easy adjusting to a new lifestyle and treatment plan, but the benefits are huge. With a little care and sensitivity, men with ADHD can manage their symptoms and enjoy a much more stable and organised life.”

News that the number of farms on sale in South Africa has shot up by 45% over the last year, as reported in The Herald yesterday, illustrates that our agricultural sector continues to take severe strain.

Some sectors, such as mohair and wool in the Eastern Cape, are still doing well, but, for a great many other producers, especially those expected to keep the nation’s food baskets filled, it is just not economically viable to work the land anymore.

The dairy industry, for instance, of which the Eastern Cap is a vital contributor, has faced hardship for years now, hamstrung both by the ongoing drought and the importation of cheaper products from the EU and US, where farmers are heavily subsidised.

Dwindling income, drought and uncertainty regarding land reform are some of the reasons why farmers are selling up, with potentially frightening consequences for our nation’s food security in the long term.

More than 850 Eastern Cape farms are currently on the market and nationally more than 20 000 farms are for sale. The Eastern Cape figure has jumped by 23.5% in just one year.

The tendency for younger generations to move away from family farms is not helping either. In addition, stricter criteria have been implemented for developing farmers applying for government help to acquire land, meaning even the state has slowed its buying of farms.

The economic outlook in general is not rosy right now and a recession is still not out of the question. But, with greater cooperation between the government, big thinkers and agricultural industry leaders, this vast sector must surely have some untapped potential to boost economic growth and create jobs.

Looking to the future, ways should also be sought properly to equip young people in the country’s rural areas to enter the sector, not as labour to be exploited as was historically the case, but as entrepreneurs and farmers in their own right.

On the night that South Africa’s most notorious criminal became the first person to ever escape from C-Max maximum security prison in Pretoria warders were watching a double-header soccer match on television.

A labour dispute involving one of six warders who were dismissed over the incident‚ has revealed details of what happened in the hours leading up to the audacious 2006 escape into darkness by Ananias Mathe.

Mozambican-born Mathe’s behaviour was described by a judge as “vicious and abnormal” when he was convicted of 64 charges‚ including aggravated robbery‚ rape‚ indecent assault‚ attempted murder and housebreaking. He was jailed for 54 years in 2009.

Warder Paulina Phahobe was dismissed for dereliction of duty after being charged with failing to detect and prevent the escape.

But now‚ thanks to several blunders in the way her dismissal was subsequently handled after nearly a decade‚ the Labour Court in Johannesburg has ruled that Phahobe be “reinstated into her position as a correctional services officer at C-Max Correctional Centre in Pretoria with immediate effect”.

Mathe dramatically evaded capture after his escape. Police were hot on his heels for two weeks. He drove past police near Boksburg on a motorcycle he had just stolen‚ but without a helmet‚ reported the Sunday Times.

“They saw him going down the highway and shot at him‚ but missed. He fell off the bike‚ but got back on and drove away at a hell of a speed‚” said André Snyman‚ head of the community crime-fighting organisation eBlockwatch.

He was eventually shot several times and arrested after being located via the tracking device of a car that he had stolen‚ in December 2006.

The Labour Court judgment revealed details about what was going on inside the country’s toughest prison in the hours leading up to his escape – evidence that contributed towards the court ruling that the dismissal of Phahobe was in fact unfair. They include: – C-Max was‚ at the time‚ understaffed and only two of five inmate observation towers – one of them occupied by Phahobe – were manned on the night of the escape. – The catwalk‚ the area from which Mathe escaped‚ was not regularly patrolled. – Correctional Services staff were watching a double-header soccer match that evening and heavy rain had caused a noisy environment in the prison.

The Labour Court found that an arbitrator who initially declared her dismissal to be fair‚ had in fact relied on hearsay evidence.

The dramatic escape caused red faces within the department and former Correctional Services Minister Ngconde Balfour appointed a team headed by agents from the then National Intelligence Agency to investigate.

Mathe’s reign of terror as a criminal‚ and escapes from custody‚ spawned a documentary titled‚ Houdini Man – The life and crimes of Ananias Mathe‚ by Sabido Productions.

South African theatre heavyweights Zakes Mda and Port Elizabeth’s John Kani have teamed up for their first ever collaboration in their illustrious careers to present a new theatre play.

Titled The Dying Screams of the Moon‚ the play forms part of the 40th anniversary celebrations for the Market Theatre and will be staged in the newly renamed Mannie Manim at the Joburg-based theatre.

The production‚ which was written by Zakes and directed by John‚ consists of an-all female crew and features rising stars Masasa Mbangeni and Tinarie van Wyk Loots‚ as well as Ezbie Moilwa as the organ player and music director.

The play‚ set in the Free State‚ is about two women who meet at church‚ a place of solace‚ where they seek inner peace from their troubles of the past. Set in post-apartheid South Africa‚ it reveals the struggles for land ownership that are still relevant today.

According to a press statement by the Market Theatre‚ “this piece is fundamentally about their yearning for the howling of jackals that once filled the village at night‚ the dying screams of the moon!“

“Mda was ahead of his time in writing a piece about South Africa after the dark days‚ which no one could envisage.

“This is a celebration of women coming together under the stewardship of the legendary director to create a memorable event that will appropriately play for much of Women’s Month‚” the theatre added.

Even a bucket of sand close to your home can save you becoming injured or killed in a home fire.

Burns are the number one cause of fatal injuries in children under the age of one in South Africa. The vast majority of burn injuries happen at home‚ according to a statement by Bonitas Medical Fund.

Apart from deaths‚ millions of children require hospital care every year for non-fatal injuries and many are left with lifelong disabilities. It is a problem that the whole country shares as the cost is about R104 billion a year‚ says Sustainable Energy Africa.

The cost to treat one burn victim is between R30‚000 and R100‚000.

Dr Bobby Ramasia‚ Principal Officer of Bonitas Medical Fund‚ says: “Data from the Fire Protection Association of Southern Africa shows that fire incidents are steadily increasing year on year with close to 16‚000 fires in informal and formal settlements reported between 2010 and 2013. It is estimated that 3.2% (1‚600‚000) of the country’s population will suffer burn injuries annually.”

To change these statistics‚ Dr Ramasia says more of us need to know how to prevent fires and how to keep safe if they do happen‚ as well as the best way to treat burns. In addition to raising the alarm and calling your nearest fire department‚ there are immediate steps you should take.

– Do not use ice. Rather run the burn under cold tap water for 20-30 minutes. Then cover the burn with cling wrap to ward off infection.

– Do not try to put out an oil fire in the kitchen with water; Rather use a bucket of sand‚ a pot lid or cloth soaked in water

– Stay close to the ground when leaving a smoke-filled room. Smoke rises so staying low minimises the potential for inhalation injuries

– Teach your children to ‘stop‚ drop and roll’ on the floor’ if clothing catches alight and to crawl on the floor to escape thick smoke.

– Cover your nose and mouth with a (moist) cloth. This also minimises the inhalation of smoke by breathing through a barrier.

– Respect electricity. Electrical systems should not be overloaded with multiple adapter plugs. Electrical cords should not run under carpets and those that are frayed or worn should be replaced.

– Never cover heaters‚ and switch off electrical blankets while sleeping.

– Children should be warned to keep away from electricity sub-stations. Rode says electrical burns are extremely dangerous as the electric current can harm internal organs and tissues. If the patient is still in contact with the electrical current‚ it needs to be switched off or removed as soon as possible. Use an object that is made of wood‚ rubber or plastic as these materials do not conduct electricity. The patient should be laid down to prevent injury‚ shock or seizures.

– Close the door on the room that is on fire.

– Treating a burn caused by a chemical requires that you remove any contaminated clothing and brush off any dry chemicals or residue. Wash the affected area under running water for 15 minutes then visit a doctor or hospital.

TYPES OF BURN INJURIES AND WHAT TO DO

A first-degree burn is also called a superficial burn or wound. It’s an injury that affects the first layer of your skin. The skin will be red and slightly swollen. As the burn is superficial‚ it is painful to the touch‚ and may resemble sunburn. Simply run cold water over the affected area for five to 10 minutes and cover the burn with a sterile dressing.

Third-degree burns go through the dermis and affect deeper tissues. They are extremely serious. If the burn covers a large part of the body‚ cover it with a clean sheet soaked in cold water. Remove clothing‚ shoes and jewellery from the area unless it is stuck. Seek medical assistance.

Find a PE Business

About MyPortElizabeth

About Alan Straton: Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."